Frowning, Garp steadied Ah Ying before taking the prescription from her hands.
His eyes scanned the paper.
His lips twitched.
"So many ingredients? Isn't this just part of what I give that woman Dory every year?"
"Eh~ You know her, Gramps?" Moses said in surprise. "That's right. This is a Foundation Strengthening and Essence Nourishing tonic, designed to replenish depleted blood and vitality.
But the effects are gentle.
It was developed specifically for infants and young children. Doctorine created it for me back in the day."
"We... can't afford this," Ah Ying said helplessly. "One dose costs fifty thousand Belly, and each dose can only be used twice at most. It would take at least a year or two to see results."
Moses had thoughtfully included the costs next to each ingredient so Ah Ying could understand.
Garp sighed, feeling like he was destined to be broke—a man born to toil.
"Ah Ying, Slab, you know how busy I am. I barely have time to take care of a baby.
I only came here because Slab told me you'd just had a child, Ah Ying. I was hoping you could help me look after Luffy in passing.
Coincidentally, that prescription was used by Moses before. I'll handle the medicinal ingredients, and in exchange, you raise Luffy for me.
Can you accept that?"
Ah Ying froze, her eyes reddening uncontrollably. Slab looked at Garp with some embarrassment but gritted his teeth.
"I'll take the deal. Thanks, Garp. Don't worry—even without this arrangement, given our friendship, our family would never let Luffy go hungry."
Garp exhaled in relief.
A win-win situation—though his wallet would suffer.
Wait, no. Didn't Moses and the others just confiscate all those gold bars from the Slave Hunter Ship a few days ago?
He was entitled to thirty percent of that, plus the military merits from reclaiming the Slave Hunter Ship could be exchanged for supplies at headquarters.
"Hah! No need to worry then. That money will definitely be enough."
Watching Garp cheer himself up, Moses sighed. "Then can you prepare the ingredients first?
We're not staying here forever, and neither are you. We have to leave in a few days."
Garp's laughter stopped as he turned to Slab and Ah Ying.
"Right. Then I'll leave Luffy with you. I'll have someone gather all the ingredients today and bring Moses over tomorrow."
"Got it. Go handle your business."
Slab knew that every time Garp returned these past few years, he would go to Mt. Colubo in the back. There must be something important there.
Waving, Garp left with Moses. Slab and Ah Ying each held a baby, watching the two walk away.
"Dad, we really owe Uncle Garp this time. Otherwise, I don't know what would've happened to Arthur..."
"Yeah. This old man owes that geezer another huge favor. Guess we'll just have to raise little Luffy well for him."
"Mm. I'll treat Luffy like my own son."
...
"Gramps, are we going to see Ace now?"
Moses walked alongside Garp. "Where is he?"
Garp scratched his head awkwardly. "First, let's give the prescription to Bogart on the battleship. Then I'll take you to Ace."
Before long, Garp handed the prescription to Bogart on the warship. Bogart was quite pleased because Garp hadn't reprimanded him during the journey for his reckless teaching of Moses. He had been somewhat uneasy, but now he could use this task to "redeem himself."
Ignoring Bogart's delight, Garp simply smiled and said, "Get this done by today, and we'll consider the past matter settled. Use my share of the earnings to cover the cost. Buy a hundred doses for now."
Bogart patted his chest and laughed, "Don't worry, you can count on me."
Moses chuckled, picking up the luggage he had packed and holding it in his hand as he looked at Garp. "Let's go, Grandpa. I'd like to see him soon too."
Moses was quite curious about this younger brother he hadn't seen since birth. He wondered how much he had grown by now. Probably around the same age as himself—after all, they were born on the same day. He also wondered what his brother's personality was like now.
Garp smiled, taking the luggage from Moses. "Let's go."
Under Bogart's watchful gaze, the two disembarked from the warship and followed a small path up the mountain.
...
The lush forest echoed with the occasional roars of unknown creatures.
Garp led Moses through the woods, noticing his curious glances around. He chuckled, "What do you think? Beautiful, isn't it? Completely different from Drum Island—not cold at all, right?"
As they ventured deeper into the forest, the trees grew taller, and the scent of grass and leaves in the air became richer.
Moses couldn't help but relax, keenly sensing the subtle connection between himself and the natural surroundings. His Observation Haki ebbed and flowed around him, perceiving the myriad auras within the forest.
Breaking free from Garp's grip, Moses walked alongside him, his breathing rhythmic and deliberate. Gradually, his own aura began to shift, as if merging with the environment around him. An ethereal tranquility emanated from his entire being.
Garp's eyes widened abruptly, his mouth gaping wide enough to fit a balloon. Staring at Moses, he felt as though the boy might vanish before his very eyes. The aura surrounding Moses seemed to harmonize with the surroundings—an eerie phenomenon.
"A Devil Fruit ability?"
"No, no. Moses doesn't have one."
Moses carefully savored the "breath" of the surrounding trees, controlling his own breathing to align and assimilate with them. He imagined himself as a tree, a leaf—rooted freely in the earth, growing wild and untamed. His body relaxed, yielding to nature's flow.
He adjusted his breathing and aura, steadily synchronizing with the frequencies he perceived around him.
They continued onward.
After a long while, Moses withdrew from that state of natural affinity, retracting his Observation Haki. A faint smile played on his lips as he turned to Garp.
"What's wrong, Grandpa?"
Garp blinked, scrutinizing Moses closely. The earlier sensation of his impending disappearance had vanished.
"What was that just now?"
Moses grinned. "Just an ordinary breathing technique—a method for cultivating and harmonizing the body."
He wasn't lying. This breathing method truly stemmed from the essence of breath itself.
Garp looked utterly unimpressed. "You think your grandpa's an idiot? If breathing could do what you just did, wouldn't I know how?"
Moses giggled. "Then maybe you're just too slow, Grandpa."
Garp immediately puffed up in anger, feeling his fists clench involuntarily.
Just as he was about to act, he heard Moses' words.
"Grandpa, do you want to learn it? If you do, I can teach you."
Garp's eyes widened. He opened his mouth but then sighed. "No, I won't learn it. I doubt you came up with this alone—Dory must have had a hand in it, right?"
As they continued walking forward, Moses looked at him in surprise.
"You're right. This is indeed a special breathing method that Doctorine deduced from observing my Breath."
Garp's expression showed understanding.
Such a unique breathing technique, akin to a special inheritance, must have required immense effort to develop. He couldn't just casually steal it from Moses—doing so would cross a line.
Clearly, Garp wasn't that kind of person.
Noticing Garp's expression, Moses understood and smiled. "Although Doctorine organized the breathing method, I'm the first inheritor. I have the right to teach it to others."
"She won't interfere or care about it. I asked her, and she said it's up to me."
"As long as you promise not to spread it recklessly, I'll teach you."
Garp eyed Moses suspiciously. "Really? You're not lying to me?"
"Believe it or not, learn it or not. I'm not lying. It's your loss if you don't learn, not mine. I'll just consider my kindness wasted."
Garp's eye twitched, and his teeth ground audibly. "You little brat, you dare call me a dumb donkey?"
"I didn't say that—you figured it out yourself."
"Ahhh, you damn brat! You totally said it!"
Seeing Garp hopping mad, Moses knew he'd better stop—otherwise, he'd get a beating, and that wouldn't be good.
So...
"Grandpa, do you want to learn it?"
Moses asked again.
Garp sighed grudgingly. "Fine, I'll learn it. And I promise not to share it without your permission."
"Great!"
As they walked, Moses explained while Garp asked questions.
To make teaching easier, Moses even had Garp use his Observation Haki to carefully observe his breathing rhythm.
As Garp grasped the technique, his breathing began to change—shallow at first, then deepening.
His instinctive breathing slowly transformed.
Moses also used Observation Haki to observe the changes inside Garp's body. At first, something seemed to resist his observation, but after Moses pointed it out and Garp cooperated, things became much smoother.
After a while, seeing Garp had grasped the basics, Moses smiled. "Not bad, not bad. You're quite sharp for an old man."
Garp immediately beamed, laughing heartily as he thumped his chest. "Of course! Who do you think I am? Could I be your grandpa if I weren't capable?"
Moses gave him a strange look and muttered, "Shameless."
With his mastery of Life Return giving him such an advantage, Garp actually called himself "sharp"? Moses had only said it as a courtesy, yet Garp took it seriously. How shameless.
Garp's face twitched.
He pretended not to hear.
Then, Moses asked, "Grandpa, earlier, why was it so hard for my Observation Haki to penetrate your body? Something was resisting—what was that?"
Sure enough, Garp replied the next moment:
"Hey ha~, wanna know? Then I'll tell you. It's also a type of Hegemony, called Armament Haki. It can be used as invisible armor or to block external attacks."
"Pretty cool, huh?"
Moses nodded.
"Yeah, it is cool. But how do you awaken it?"
Garp glanced at Moses, rubbing his chin. "You're still a bit green. Awakening it too early isn't good for your body. Give it a few more years."
"Not good for the body?" Moses asked curiously. "Is it related to vitality? Or maybe one's energy, blood flow, or something like that?"
Garp's expression stiffened as he gave Moses a helpless look. "Dory told you, didn't she? That woman really can't keep anything to herself."
"Right, but don't try to force Armament Haki yet. It won't do you any good."
"Anyway, enough about that. Look, we're here."
They had just crossed a small hill when Garp pointed to a wooden structure at the end of a narrow path.
"That's the place."
Surrounded by lush forests, the wooden house stood on a flat area halfway up the mountain, hidden within the greenery.
As they walked down the path, Moses activated his Observation Haki to sense ahead. Garp raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
"Quite a few people there?" Moses tilted his head. "Gramps, what is this place?"
Garp's eye twitched as he sighed. "You'll find out soon. Just know this—though they don't have the best reputation, their leader Dadan is a good person."
Moses narrowed his eyes slightly. Of course he knew Dadan—a woman who would risk her life for Ace, the one who raised him, a tough-talking but kind-hearted soul.
Garp looked a bit embarrassed—after all, leaving a child with mountain bandits wasn't exactly conventional—but he didn't elaborate.
When they reached the door, Garp immediately started pounding on it with loud BAM BAM BAM sounds.
The force sent dust shaking loose from the doorframe, making Moses wonder if the door might collapse.
Footsteps thudded inside, followed by a furious roar.
"WHO THE HELL IS IT?! YOU TRYING TO DIE?! CAN'T YOU KNOCK LIKE A NORMAL PERSON?!"
CREAK!
The door swung open, revealing a middle-aged woman with waist-length orange hair and a cigarette dangling from her mouth. Her eyes nearly popped out when she saw who it was.
"G-Garp?! No—Mr. Garp?!"
She stumbled back as if facing a wild beast. "Wh-what brings you here? Are you looking for Ace again?"
Garp chuckled. "Seems like you're full of energy, Dadan."
Dadan looked miserable.
"Energy my ass! That brat Ace kept me up all night!"
"Is that so? Ahaha, Ace sure is lively! Looks like you're taking good care of him."
Dadan sighed deeply, her face full of exhaustion. "That kid's gotten impossible to handle. He's as strong as a grown man now and twice as wild. Why don't you take him back? This little hideout can't handle his antics anymore."
While they talked, Moses quietly slipped past Dadan and stepped inside.
When Dadan noticed him, her jaw dropped. "G-G-G-Garp?! Who the hell is this kid?! He looks just like Ace! Don't tell me he's—?!"
Garp grinned. "This is Moses. My grandson. Ace's twin brother."
Dadan's vision darkened, her lips twitching. "Then why did you bring him here?"
No, please no. Don't make me raise another one. Ace alone is already more than I can handle. If another one comes along, I'll really kick the bucket.
Garp: "Don't worry, you don't have to raise this one. Someone else will take care of him."
Hearing this, Dadan let out a sigh of relief, her face slack with exhaustion.
Entering the house,
Moses surveyed the layout—smooth wooden floors, a spacious interior divided by blue curtains into several compartments.
To the left side of the floor was a fire pit, with an iron chain hanging midair, suspending a boiling kettle.
At that moment, it was being heated by the charcoal fire in the pit.
Just then, the sound of footsteps—"tap, tap"—echoed. Moses turned to look.
The sound came from the stairs leading to the upper compartments.
And then.
A black-haired boy, about a meter tall, walked down.